At the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Bill Schrier, a senior advisor for FirstNet Authority, emphasized the need for all first-responders to adapt to the changing times and be equipped with government-issued smartphones that not only provide access to wireless broadband capabilities, but also have the capability to capture and retain text messages, email, chats, and other types of evidence appropriately and securely.
Indeed, most organizations across the globe – government sector or private – have already allowed their employees to use smartphones and messaging solutions to help streamline their operations. “What company in the United States sends its field force into the field and doesn’t give them smartphones? Taxi drivers have them. UPS delivery, salespeople and even reporters … have got smartphones that have been issued by their companies.” Mr. Schrier added.
This critical need for a fast, reliable, and compliant way of work communication cannot be stressed further for law enforcement agencies and first response organizations.
In such lines of work, where the reliability and efficiency of the communication tool being used can draw the line between life and death, it is extremely imperative for first responders to use a modern tool which most people are most likely to use during emergencies.
On the compliance side, though, government employees using any electronic messaging platform are required to capture and retain those messages in a secure and accessible database to comply with public records text archiving and data protection requirements.
The confluence of these requirements are the reasons why first responders in the field and their dispatch centers should strongly consider adopting a compliant enterprise-grade mobile messaging solution. Here are the top five benefits of a compliant mobile messaging app can provide to first response sector.
1. More Accurate Location Mapping
With today’s level of smartphone technology, first responders are now able to better track the location of the person by simultaneously processing the message and plotting the online map location .
Some enterprise-grade messaging apps can be integrated with APIs such as interactive maps which can provide critical information to the first responder. Also, providing current/historical incident data about the area and a turn-by-turn navigation system can help the first responder use the best route to arrive at the scene more quickly.
2. Better Collaboration and Productivity
Through an enterprise-grade messaging app, first responders can collaborate more efficiently with their co-workers and even colleagues in another state who have the expertise in specific topics in public health and safety.
For instance, if a first responder in rural in Wisconsin is consulting recent research about a certain safety threat arising in their community, he/she can check if the author of the research is logged onto the mobile messaging app and if so, initiate a conversation. Secure enterprise messaging tools also have group chat capabilities which first responders can utilize to discuss specific topics of concern.
3. Enhance Communication Security and Privacy
Compared to traditional channels used in many law enforcement and emergency response agencies, enterprise-grade mobile messaging solutions are more secure, because they utilize end-to-end encryption. Thus, any eavesdropper cannot simply buy a Radio Scanner to sneak into the first-responder communication line.
Such an additional level of security not only helps ensure secure communication with first responders but also ensures that all information and content provided by persons during a critical situation will remain safe and secure from potential hack and breach.
4. More Efficient Compliance With Archiving and Data Protection Requirements
Through an enterprise-grade messaging solution, first responders will not only be able to obtain information that helps to better and more quickly respond to the countless emergencies they may encounter in the field. They can also achieve compliance with various mobile SMS archiving, voice call recording, and other electronic communication recordkeeping and data protection requirements in place – all more securely and efficiently.
TeleMessage’s Secure Enterprise Messaging Platform enables first responders to communicate securely with co-workers, teams, and the public and enables them to capture and record mobile SMS, MMS, Calls, and Chats from corporate or BYOD mobile phones. Messages are securely and reliably retained within TeleMessage servers or forwarded to an archiving data storage vendor of your choice.
TeleMessage offers cross-carrier and international mobile text & calls archiving and secure enterprise messaging for government and BYOD phones. Visit our website today to learn more about our mobile archiving products and secure messaging solution.
